Anisotropic lenses for remote parameter adjustment

Abstract

One or more anisotropic lenses, where the permittivity and/or permeability is directional, are used to vary one or more of beamwidth, beam direction, polarization, and other parameters for one or more antennas. Contemplated anisotropic lenses can include conductive or dielectric fibers or other particles. Lenses can be spherical, cylindrical or have other shapes depending on application, and can be rotated and/or positioned. Important applications include land and satellite communication, base station antennas.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A communication system, comprising:
 a lens configured to be anisotropic with respect to dielectric permittivity; 
 a first radiating element mutually positionable with respect to the lens such that the first radiating element can alternatively direct a first beam through the lens along a first orientation having a first dielectric permittivity, and a second beam through the lens along a second orientation having a different, second dielectric permittivity; 
 wherein the first orientation is different than the second orientation, and; 
 wherein the first beam and the second beam are produced by the first radiating element. 
 
     
     
       2. The communication system of  claim 1 , wherein the lens is configured such that the first and second beams have at least one of different beamwidths. 
     
     
       3. The communication system of  claim 1 , wherein the lens is configured such that the first and second beams have different vertical and horizontal beamwidths. 
     
     
       4. The communication system of  claim 1 , wherein the lens is configured such that the first and second beams have at least one of different sidelobe levels. 
     
     
       5. The communication system of  claim 1 , wherein the lens is configured such that the first and second beams have different beam gains. 
     
     
       6. The communication system of  claim 1 , wherein the lens is configured such that the first and second beams have different beam polarizations. 
     
     
       7. The communication system of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to control movement of the lens with respect to the radiating element. 
     
     
       8. The communication system of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to control movement of the radiating element with respect to the lens. 
     
     
       9. The communication system of  claim 1 , wherein the lens is configured to be anisotropic with respect to dielectric permittivity at least in part due to inclusion within the lens of multiple pieces of at least a first conductive material. 
     
     
       10. The communication system of  claim 9 , wherein the multiple pieces of the conductive material are fibers having eccentricity of at least 10. 
     
     
       11. The communication system of  claim 9 , wherein the multiple pieces of the first conductive material are distributed among multiple pieces of a polymeric material. 
     
     
       12. The communication system of  claim 9 , wherein a first set of the multiple pieces of the first conductive material is oriented diagonally with respect to a second set of the multiple pieces of conductive material. 
     
     
       13. The communication system of  claim 9 , wherein the lens is configured to be anisotropic at least in part with respect to respective orientations of the multiple pieces of the first conductive material. 
     
     
       14. The communication system of  claim 9 , wherein the lens is configured to be anisotropic at least in part with respect to different densities of the multiple pieces of the first conductive material. 
     
     
       15. The communication system of  claim 9 , wherein the lens further includes multiple pieces of a second conductive material, and the lens is configured to be anisotropic at least in part with respect to different regions of the lens having different amounts of the first and second conductive materials. 
     
     
       16. The communication system of  claim 1 , wherein the lens is configured to be anisotropic with respect to dielectric permittivity at least in part due to the lens having a shape that provides same thicknesses with respect to different beam paths occasioned by the radiating element being mutually positionable with respect to the lens. 
     
     
       17. The communication system of  claim 16 , wherein the shape is at least partially spherical. 
     
     
       18. The communication system of  claim 16 , wherein the shape is at least partially cylindrical. 
     
     
       19. The communication system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second lens, positioned with respect to the first radiating element and the first lens, such that the first beam passes through the first and second lenses, and each of the first and second lenses alters the first beam with respect to at least one of a beamwidth, a beam-direction, a beam polarization, a beam gain, and a beam sidelobe level. 
     
     
       20. The communication system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second radiating element configured to pass a second output beam through the lens, and wherein mutual movement of the second element with respect to the lens alters the second output beam with respect to at least one of a beamwidth, a beam-direction, a beam polarization, a beam gain, and a beam sidelobe level. 
     
     
       21. The communication system of  claim 20 , further comprising a controller that combines the first and second beams into a combined beam. 
     
     
       22. A method of variably adjusting a characteristic of a first beam emitted by at least a first radiating element; comprising: installing an anisotropic lens in front of the first radiating element; and moving at least one of the lens and the antenna to adjust the characteristic; wherein the first beam and a second beam are directed by the first radiating element; wherein the first radiating element is configured to direct the first beam along a first orientation, and the second beam along a second, different orientation; wherein the step of moving comprises simultaneously modifying the characteristic with respect to both the first beam and the second beam. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising using multiple pieces of a first conductive material to achieve an anisotropic effect within the lens. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising using different orientations of multiple pieces of a conductive material to achieve an anisotropic effect within the lens. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 22 , wherein the step of installing comprises modifying an installation wherein the radiating element has been previously deployed. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 22 , wherein adjusting the characteristic adjusts at least one of a beamwidth, a beam-direction, a beam polarization, a beam gain, and a beam sidelobe level. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising mutually orienting the radiating element with respect to the lens by mechanically moving the lens relative to the radiating element. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising mutually orienting the radiating element with respect to the lens such that the radiating element sequentially occupies different positions about a meridian of the lens.